Set including five distinct elements based on a hollow cube

ABSTRACT

A set of five different toy building elements, each of which is formed as two, three or four mutually connected side walls of a hollow cube. The elements may be combined with each other or with duplicate blocks in rectilinearly aligned relation to form a total of 977 different configurations of pairs of elements.

United States Patent 1191 Lautrup-Larsen July 9, 1974 154] SET INCLUDING FIVE DISTINCT 2,861,388 11/1958 Favaretto 46/25 ELEMENTS BASED ON A HOLLOW CUBE 3,449,857 6/1969 De Christopher 46/ 16 3,464,179 9/1969 Rathke et a1. 52/609 Inventor: Knud tr p-La sen, 144 3,564,787 5/1968 Sherman 46/24 x Naerumvaenge, DK-2850 Naerum, 3,577,672 5/1971 Nutting 46/24 Denmark 3,660,928 5/1972 Michel 46/25 [22] Filed: Dec. 12, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,965,417 7/1960 German 52/79 [21] Appl' 314459 101,420 7/1920 Great 1331mm 52/609 1 Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-F. Barry Shay Dec. 13, 1971 Denmark 6067/71 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Watson, Cole, Grindle &

Watson [52] US. Cl. 46/24, D34/15 GG, 52/608, 52/609 51 161. C1 A63h 33/06 [57] FT [58] Field f Search 46/25 24, 5 7 0 A set of five d1fierent toy building elements, each of 52/611, 2 9 which is formed as two, three or four mutually connected side walls of a hollow cube. The elements may 5 References Cited be combined with each other or with duplicate blocks UNITED STATES PATENTS in rectilinearly aligned relation to form a total of 977 different configurations of pairs of elements. 741,949 10/1903 Woodson 46/24 2,131,349 9/ 1938 Kreider 46/24 2 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures WENYEML um SHEU 1 UP 5 6 5 a 2 M mm "MW MEMEB a a a ll 1 m 4 4. A F

PATENIEU SHEEI 5 UP 5 b @V a 1 IM i i SET INCLUDING FIVE DISTINCT ELEMENTS BASED ON A HOLLOW CUBE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a set of building elements, each formed as a part of a hollow cube. The known building sets allow rather few combinations only and must be supplemented with other building elements in order to achieve a reasonable number of combinations.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a set of building elements comprising a few different types of elements only, but which provides a great number of combinations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention a set of building elements is proposed each formed as a part of a hollow cube wherein the set comprises different types of elements of which a different number of cube side walls within the range 2-4 inclusive is omitted.

A set of building elements according to the present invention may, accordingly, consist of: one building element comprising two adjacent side walls of a hollow cube, viz. an angle block: two building elements each comprising three side walls of a hollow cube, viz. an element forming a U-formed block and another element forming a corner block, and two buildings elements each comprising four side walls of a hollow cube, viz. an element in the form of a block, shaped like a foursided tube, and another element forming a comer block with a roof.

All the elements of a building set proposed in accordance with the present invention have the same outer dimensions equal to the dimensions of the hollow cube. The five different types of building blocks referred to above can be assembled in positions within a threedimensional cubic modular space grid. The individual blocks may be turned or rotated whereby a very great number of combinations is achieved in such a way that the building element set according to the present invention offers great possibilities for promoting the imagination and faculty of combination of children. In accordance with the sizes of the different building blocks the set may be used within a very broad spectrum ranging from toy building blocks via furniture for children and to play grounds and play labyrinths, e.g. in Kindergartens.

The invention will hereinafter be further explained with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows five different building elements according to one embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 shows an example of an assembly built by FIGS. 5 the total number of combinations of two of the building elements shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows, in axonometric projection, five different forms of building elements 1,2,3,4 and 5. The forms of the elements l,2,3,4 and 5 are based on a hollow cube. The element 1 comprises two walls corresponding to two adjacent side walls of an hollow cube, viz. corresponds to a hollow cube from which four side walls are omitted. The element 2 comprises three walls corresponding to two opposite sidewalls and a side wall adjacent thereto of a hollow cube, viz. correspondsto a hollow cube of which three adjacent side walls are omitted. The element 3 comprises four walls corresponding four side walls of 'a hollow cube forming a four-sided tube, viz. corresponds to a hollow cube from which two opposite side walls are omitted. The element 4 comprises three walls corresponding to three adjacent side walls of a hollow cube forming a corner, viz. corresponds to a hollow cube of which three adjacent side walls are omitted, and the element 5 comprises four walls corresponding to four side walls of a hollow cube forming a corner with a roof, viz. corresponds to a hollow cube of which two adjacent side walls are omitted. The side walls of the elements may be provided with recesses or openings (not shown) which represent or form windows, doors or the like. Below each element alternative positions are shown which'the individual elements may occupy in order to form a part of an assembly. The positions marked 1x and lz fall outside the three dimensional modular grid referred to above.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an assembly wherein the angled-formed block is used as a roof (position 1):). The thickness of the walls of the building blocks corresponds to approximately 1/5 l/6 of the side length of the cube, in order to make the individual blocks stable and in order to offer the possibility to stack the blocks on top of each other. edge against edge.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example showing how the building blocks may be built together in mutually off-side positions independent of the modular grid referred to above. In the form of assembly illustrated in FIG. 3, adjacent blocks form steps corresponding to the side wall thickness of the blocks. At the same time the possibility exists to turn and/or rotate the individual building blocks.

FIG. 4 illustrates other forms of building blocks for a building set in accordance with the present invention, wherein the spacing between opposite walls of an element is equal to three times the thickness of one of the walls of the element in such a way that four elements may be put together as illustrated, by inserting a side wall of each of the three elements into the spacing between two opposite side walls of the fourth element v with a press fit.

FIGS. 5-10 illustrates the total number of combinations of two building elements of the types numbered '1 and 5 in FIG. 1 when positioned side by side on a tations achievable by placing any two of five diiferent building elements in accordance with the present invenuon two by two so as to define in combination a of said cube adjacent to both of said two mutually parallelepiped adjacent sidewalls,

C0111- C0111- Con1- (om Numhina- Numbina- Nuinbina- Numhiuzi- Nmu- 'lonhuman m her tion ber lion ber lion be! iiou her totals in 1-2 16 1-3 s 1-4 1s 11% 111 1 1s 18- 16 13-3 s 1.4-4 16 13+ 111 10 1- 16 1-33 4 1-13 11; 1-511 11; 1a-2a 16 121-38 4 111-411 16 111-511 111 1-2b 8 1-511 113 13-21) 8 13-511 16 1-20 8 1a-2c 8 Total as +96 +24 +54 +111 2-2 10 2-3 s 2-4. 16 2- MW 111 221-2 16 la-3 3 251-1 111 211- [(1 211-28 2b-3 4 1211-1 8 2b-5 8 28-21) a -3 4 20-1 8 20-5 11 221-20 8 2-311 4 2-411 16 2-511 111 211-2 8 211-32 4 211-411 16 Zn-5n 16 210-21) 3 21,22 2 211-421 a 211-52 8 211-20 3 2c-3a 2 20-411 8 20-50. 8 20-2 8 2-51) 16 20-20 3 211-51) 16 214-51) 21 20-5b 8 TotaL'. 1. 77 7. +36 +96 +144 =353 3-3 3 3-4 s a-5 8 321-3 2 312-4 4 32-5 4 311-321 1 3-4a 8 3-5a 8 3a4a 4 32-521 4 3-5b s 321-513 4 Total s +24 +36 =66 4-4 10 4-5 16 411-4 16 ta-5 16 ia-4a 10 4-58, 16 4a5a 16 4-51) 16 la-5b 16 Total 38 +96 =132 5-5 10 52-5 16 52-511 10 Sn-5b 16 511-5 14 511-511 10 Totnl 7s =78 Totals as 2 +205 +66 +220 +450 4 -2. 2 a... 7. 11 V, 1 1 C aim (1. a building element consisting of four walls mutu- A Set Of y bulldlng elements, Said element ally connected along edges thereof so as to form a bemg based on hollow Cube and haYmg at two tube having a square cross-section, said four walls walls corresponding to sidewalls of said cube, said set Corresponding respectively to four sidewalls Sup comprising at least one of each of the following elerounding an axis of Said cube 7 g element consistin of two .Oined Walls e. a building element consisting of four joined walls g 1 corresponding respectively to two mutually adjacorrespondlng respectively to two mutually ad acent sidewalls of said cube and to two mutually opcent sidewalls of said cube,

b. a building element consisting of three joined walls corresponding respectively to two mutually opposite sidewalls of said cube and to a third sidewall of said cube adjacent to both said opposite sidewalls,

c. a building element consisting of three joined walls A Set of y bulldmg elements according to Clalm corresponding respectively to two mutually dj 55 1, wherein the thickness of the walls of the elements cent sidewalls of said cube and to a third sidewall equals one-fifth the length of the walls.

- l t, l

50 posite sidewalls of said cube, each said opposite sidewall being adjacent with respect to both said mutually adjacent sidewalls, all of said walls being flat, of equal and uniform thickness. 

1. A set of toy building elements, each said element being based on a hollow cube and having at least two walls corresponding to sidewalls of said cube, said set comprising at least one of each of the following elements: a. a building element consisting of two joined walls corresponding respectively to two mutually adjacent sidewalls of said cube, b. a building element consisting of three joined walls corresponding respectively to two mutually opposite sidewalls of said cube and to a third sidewall of said cube adjacent to both said opposite sidewalls, c. a building element consisting of three joined walls corresponding respectively to two mutually adjacent sidewalls of said cube and to a third sidewall of said cube adjacent to both of saiD two mutually adjacent sidewalls, d. a building element consisting of four walls mutually connected along edges thereof so as to form a tube having a square cross-section, said four walls corresponding respectively to four sidewalls surrounding an axis of said cube, e. a building element consisting of four joined walls corresponding respectively to two mutually adjacent sidewalls of said cube and to two mutually opposite sidewalls of said cube, each said opposite sidewall being adjacent with respect to both said mutually adjacent sidewalls, all of said walls being flat, of equal and uniform thickness.
 2. A set of toy building elements according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the walls of the elements equals one-fifth the length of the walls. 